Designed Amyloid Fibers with Emergent Melanosomal Functions

Short peptides designed to self-associate into amyloid fibers with metal ion-binding ability have been used to catalyze various types of chemical reactions. This manuscript demonstrates that one of these short-peptide fibers coordinated with Cu^II can exhibit melanosomal functions. The coordinated Cu^II and the amyloid structure itself are differentially functional in accelerating oxidative self-association of dopamine into melanin-like species and in regulating their material properties (e.g., water dispersion, morphology, and the density of unpaired electrons). The results have implications for the role of functional amyloids in melanin biosynthesis and for designing peptide-based supramolecular structures with various emergent functions.